ProverbWisdomEnglish origin1659

Don't cry over spilled milk

Meaning: Don't worry about things that have already happened.

Origin: The earliest known form is "No weeping for shed milk," in James Howell's collection of proverbs (1659). Milk once spilled cannot be gathered up, so grieving over it is wasted effort. The modern "no use crying over spilt milk" was common by the 19th century.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 4 more languages

  • French: Ce qui est fait est fait (literally: What is done is done)
  • Spanish: A lo hecho, pecho (literally: To what is done, chest)
  • Japanese: 覆水盆に返らず (Fukusui bon ni kaerazu) (literally: Spilled water doesn't return to the basin)
  • German: Geschehen ist geschehen (literally: What has happened has happened)
  • Italian: Cosa fatta capo ha (literally: A thing done is done)
  • Dutch: Gedane zaken nemen geen keer (literally: Done things don't turn back)
  • Polish: Co się stało, to się nie odstanie (literally: What has happened can't un-happen)
  • Chinese: 覆水难收 (Fù shuǐ nán shōu) (literally: Spilled water is hard to gather back)
  • Turkish: Geçmişe mazi, yenmişe kuzu derler (literally: The past is past, and what's eaten is called lamb)

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